NPR's Book of the Day

Today's episode is all about figuring out the moment things went wrong between family members – and how the fallout has long lasting effects on everyone involved. First, NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with author Hilda Blum about her novel How to Love Your Daughter, and what it means for a mother and daughter's bond to be tested over time. Then, Here & Now's Tiziana Dearing asks William Landay about his new thriller, All That Is Mine I Carry With Me, in which a missing woman's children have been raised by the man police believe may have killed her. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

In today's episode, Here & Now's Deepa Fernandes and author Lang Leav bond over growing up in Australia, and navigating racism and anti-immigrant sentiments while also trying to find community as a young person. Leav's new novel, Others Were Emeralds, follows a Cambodian teen growing up in a small town of Asian immigrants near Sydney. While she's trying to make sense of the hostility that she faces from outsiders, she's also dealing with the everyday struggle of being a young woman. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Sandeep Jauhar, physician and author of My Father's Brain, shares his personal journey of caring for his father with dementia and explores the challenges of understanding and caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's. He discusses the difficulties faced by caregivers and the lack of support and resources available. Additionally, he delves into the moral dilemma of end-of-life care and highlights the cultural importance of finding culturally competent caregivers.

Phil McDaragh is a great Irish poet; he was also a lousy husband and father, abandoning his family to pursue his writing. In Anne Enright's new novel, The Wren, The Wren, three generations of women in the McDaragh family contend with the absent patriarch's complicated legacy. Enright spoke with NPR's Scott Simon about writing fiction about a great writer, and how the poet's bad behavior in his personal life impacts the McDaragh women's own passions, years down the road. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Historian Simon Schama, author of 'Foreign Bodies:Pandemics, Vaccines, and the Health of Nations', discusses the history of pandemics, vaccine hesitancy, and the interconnected global crises. He highlights the development of vaccines for diseases such as smallpox and cholera, and the obstacles to accepting scientific knowledge. Schama emphasizes the relevance of understanding mass disease and immunization to today's global health, particularly in relation to COVID-19.

Journalist Mitchell Zuckoff discusses his book chronicling activist Homeira Qaderi's escape from Kabul. Sola Mahfouz and Malaina Kapoor talk about Defiant Dreams, which depicts growing up under Taliban rule. Topics include the evacuation efforts, individual action in the aftermath of the withdrawal, challenges faced by Afghan citizens, and the determination of young Afghan women to educate themselves.

Matthew McConaughey discusses the paradox of living and the idea that actions don't define character in his new children's book. The book explores contradictions in life and the power of avoiding labels. It encourages intergenerational understanding and dialogue, sparking fruitful conversations from a young age.

A graphic novel called 'Roaming' by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki explores the dynamics of friendship and travel. The authors discuss how a person's character can be revealed through the way they travel. The story follows three friends on a trip to New York City during college, where conflicts arise and new friendships are formed. The book is set in 2009, a time when travel experiences were different than they are now.

As The Public's Radio Lynn Arditi says in today's episode, much has been written about the Polish resistance movement during World War II. But in her interview with Judy Rakowsky, author of Jews in the Garden, the two journalists discuss the culture of silence around many of the atrocities of the time period. Rakowsky's book – part memoir, part thriller – recounts how she spent decades using her investigative reporting skills to help Sam, a family member and Holocaust survivor, make sense of what really happened in the Polish village he fled as a teen. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Héctor Tobar, Pulitzer Prize winning reporter, examines Latino identity, discussing how whiteness, colorism, and class shape it. Explores misrepresentation of Latino migrants and the vital contributions they make. Highlights the impact of colorism and challenges faced by Latinos in media representation. Explores the journey and blending of Latino identity. Emphasizes the importance of inclusivity, equality, and understanding each other's stories for a stronger society.